Connected facility systems

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to a management system that coordinates an interoperable mesh of technologies and devices to manage a hospitality facility. This disclosure further relates to the identification of key issues associated with hospitality and facility management to address with management systems of this disclosure so as to provide a management system that is cost-effective and maximizes facility profitability.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S.Provisional Application No. 62/979,617, filed on Feb. 21, 2020, thecontent of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This disclosure relates to systems and methods for managing ahospitality facility.

BACKGROUND

Managing operations of a hospitality facility (e.g., a resort, a hotel,a cruise ship, a condominium, a conference center, a health club and/orspa, a dining facility, and the like) is particularly challengingbecause of the many issues that frequently arise. For example, propertyand facility managers must monitor and manage the many differentcomponents associated with both hospitality and the facility itself,including room bookings, guest accommodations, workforce management, andmaintenance of facility infrastructure. Accordingly, property andfacility managers must be able to efficiently address varioushospitality- and facility-related issues that may arise, whilesimultaneously meeting guest expectations and ensuring profitability.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to systems and methods for managing ahospitality facility through an interoperable mesh of technologies anddevices. For example, management systems and methods of the presentdisclosure combine a wide range of different technologies (e.g.,computers, networks, software, sensors, etc.) to manage and addressdistinct issues associated with hospitality and facility infrastructurewith one centralized and integrated system. The management systems andmethods of the present invention can be configured to accommodate anynumber of different facility systems and devices, thereby resulting in ahighly scalable and customizable management system. Furthermore,management systems and methods of the present disclosure leverageindividual capabilities of different systems and devices associated witha given facility (e.g., smartphones, sensors, in-room devices, etc.) toaccomplish a variety of different tasks. The activities of the differentsystems and devices are coordinated by integrating the respectiveoperation of each into a unified management system having a singlecontrol point. The single control point allows a property or facilitymanager to efficiently monitor and direct operations of the differentsystems and devices across the facility.

More specifically, management systems of the present inventioncoordinate activities of different systems and devices (e.g., a guestdevice, a staff device, or a device integrated into the facility) bymanaging the exchange of data between those devices over a network. Insome instances, management systems use software applications to provideand manage communication among different devices. The exchange ofinformation preferably occurs over a wireless network. Becausemanagement systems use wireless communications to coordinate activitiesof different devices, integration of management systems described hereincan be integrated into a facility having a single room as easily as afacility having any number of rooms or spaces and are also well suitedto accommodate facility growth (e.g., increase in overall room number).

A particular advantage of the management systems of the presentinvention is that such systems are able to monitor various aspects ofhospitality and facilities management, further identify specific issuesassociated therewith, and subsequently provide actionable managementover such issues. As will be described in greater detail herein, thevarious issues may generally involve access, environment, illumination,occupancy, and utilities associated with a given facility. By focusingmanagement system resources on those key areas of hospitality andfacility management, costs associated with integration and maintenanceof a management system into a facility are tailored to those areas ofhospitality and infrastructure, wherein such areas are most likely todrive facility revenue. In addition to driving facility revenue, themanagement systems and methods described herein are able to moreefficiently manage hospitality and facility-related tasks by derivingactionable insights from any given individual, thereby cutting down onexcessive waste and costs. Accordingly, the management systems andmethods are able to contribute to the sustainability of both theenvironment and humans using such facilities.

In one aspect, this disclosure relates to a management system formanaging a hospitality facility. This system is operable to communicateand exchange data over a network with a plurality of different devices,including, a guest device, a staff device, and a device that is operablyassociated with the facility (e.g., locking device). More specifically,the system involves a processor coupled to memory containinginstructions executable by the processor to cause the centralinformation system to receive data from at least one of the plurality ofdevices, wherein at least a portion of the data comprises uniqueidentification information (e.g., a unique device identifier). Thesystem is further operable to query a database that includesauthentication information and generate an output based, at least inpart, on data received from the plurality of devices and results of thequery. The output is provided by the system to at least one of theplurality of devices or a property management system. The output mayinclude, for example, instructions to adjust operation of a deviceconnected to the facility.

By communicating with multiple different devices over a network (e.g., acloud-based network) the management system is operable to coordinateaspects of facility management across the different devices. At leastone of the devices may be a guest device (e.g., a guest's personalsmartphone). At least one of the devices may be a staff device (e.g., anemployee's smartphone). And at least one of the devices may be a deviceconnected with the facility (e.g., a locking device, or a sensor). Bycommunicating with different devices, the management system leveragescapabilities of various devices to accomplish specific tasks andfacilitate management of the facility.

For example, the management system may communicate with a deviceconnected to the facility, e.g., an in-room device, which may include atleast one of one of a locking device, a thermostat, an entertainmentdevice, or a light. Preferably the system is operable to communicatewith more than one device connected to the facility, and morepreferably, the system is operable to communicate with more than one ofmultiple types of devices connected to the facility, for example, atleast two of a door lock, a thermostat, an entertainment device, or alight. The system, by exchanging communications over a network, isoperable to regulate operations of each of those devices automaticallyor based on input from, for example, a guest operating a guest device, astaff member operating a staff device, or at a facility manager.Communications among the various devices are preferably coordinatedusing data hubs or nodes. The hubs may be operably associated withspecific devices within a room. Communications from a management systemcan be effectively directed to specific devices by routing saidcommunications to the hubs. The hubs may also collect, store, and/ortransmit data from one or more devices to the management system. Byrelaying signals through a hub, the number of individual data streamsare reduced, thereby improving communication efficiency.

In preferred embodiments the guest device includes a smartphone runningan application configured to communicate and exchange data with themanagement system. Preferably, the application includes an interfaceconfigured to receive input from a guest associated with the device. Theinterface may be configured to receive input in connection with at leastone of, for example, accessing a room, adjusting room temperature,adjusting an entertainment device, changing room ambiance, or making aroom service request.

For security, systems of the invention include mechanisms toauthenticate data received from a device. Authentication of a devicehelps ensure that a device from which data is received is associatedwith a guest and/or a room of the facility. This may be used to verify,for example, that a guest requesting room access with a guest device areoccupants of the room for which access is requested. Accordingly, aportion of data provided by a device includes unique identificationinformation. The system is operable to query a database that includesauthentication information having identification data associating aguest and a registered room of the facility. The system may beconfigured to authenticate data received from the plurality of devicesby correlating unique identification information of one of the pluralityof devices and authentication information from the database.

In addition, for security purposes, communications between devices maybe encrypted. For example, data received by the system from a guestdevice, a staff device, or a device connected to the facility may beencrypted data, including, for example, hash-based messageauthentication code.

The management systems of the invention provide output based on datareceived from devices. The output may include computer-readableinstructions for adjusting operation of a device connected to thefacility. The computer-readable instructions are processed by the deviceconnected to the facility and may thereby result in a change to, forexample, a status of a locking device, an adjustment in air temperature,an adjustment in room lighting, or an adjustment to an entertainmentdevice.

In other instances, the output may include data that relates to acustodial or maintenance task. The data is preferably viewable on aninterface of the staff device. The interface may be configured toreceive input from a staff member associated with the staff device inconnection with the custodial or maintenance task. For example,identifying that a task or assignment is complete.

The management system may be configured to update information stored ina database based on authenticated data received from one of theplurality of devices or the property management system. For example, theupdate may be in connection with information that associates a room ofthe facility with a guest and results in a change to authenticationinformation. The update may be in connection with a room servicerequest. The update may be in connection with a custodial or maintenancetask. The update may be in connection with an operational status of thedevice connected to the facility.

The management system can provide an output to a property managementsystem, e.g., a system operated by a property manager. The propertymanagement system may comprise an interface that is configured toreceive input from a property manager. This interface may allow theproperty manager to control one or more parameters of the system. Forexample, the one or more parameters may include operational parametersof the device connected to the facility. Input from the property managermay also be used to change information stored in the database, e.g.,guest room assignments.

In preferred embodiments, management systems of the invention includeone or more sensors operably associated with the facility. The one ormore sensors may sense signals and collect data relating to facilityutilities (e.g., energy consumption). The data may by associated withindividual devices of the facility to identify whether the device isoperating within certain parameters. The data may be analyzed by asoftware analysis program or service associated with the managementsystem and provided to a facility manager, an owner, or staff. The datacan identify costs relating to facility management. The data may be usedto make informed decisions relating to facility upgrades.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary management system for managing ahospitality facility.

FIG. 2 shows interoperable features of a management system.

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a guest device application.

FIGS. 4A-4D show screenshots of a guest device application.

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of an exemplary staff device application.

FIGS. 6A-6D shows screenshots of an exemplary staff device application.

FIG. 7A is a screenshot of an exemplary dashboard interface provided bymanagement system software consistent with the present disclosure. FIGS.7A-1, 7A-2, 7A-3, and 7A-4 are enlarged screenshots of the dashboardinterface, showing various metrics.

FIG. 7B is a screenshot of an exemplary booking management interfaceprovided by management system software consistent with the presentdisclosure. FIGS. 7B-1 and 7B-2 are enlarged views of portions of thebooking management interface.

FIG. 8 shows a block diagram illustrating aspects of an exemplarylocking device.

FIG. 9 shows a front view of an exemplary locking device.

FIG. 10 shows an exploded view of an exemplary locking device.

FIG. 11 shows an exemplary data hub.

FIG. 12 shows a deployment scenario of an exemplary data hub.

FIG. 13 shows a block diagram of an exemplary management system.

FIG. 14 shows a block diagram of an environment control system.

FIG. 15 shows an exemplary energy sensor for use with a managementsystem.

FIG. 16 shows an air quality sensor for use with a management system.

FIG. 17 shows correlations between outputs of air quality sensor and airquality.

FIG. 18 shows a diagram of an analytical software system.

FIGS. 19A and 19B are an exemplary screenshots of an interface providedon a user's device displaying various data to a user. FIGS. 19A-1,19A-2, and 19A-3 are enlarged views of interfaces showing data relatingto room availability, occupancy status, and sensor status, respectively.FIGS. 19B-1 and 19B-2 are enlarged views of interfaces showing datarelating to booking references and guest reviews.

FIG. 20 shows an exemplary management system following a Message QueuingTelemetry Transport architecture.

FIG. 21 shows a block diagram illustrating mutual authentication.

FIG. 22 identifies pathways for operating exemplary componentsassociated with a server.

FIG. 23 identifies exemplary server components of a management system.

FIG. 24 illustrates connectivity among components of an exemplarymanagement system.

FIG. 25 diagrams inter-system communications of a management system.

FIG. 26 shows a block diagram illustrating server connections.

FIG. 27 shows a block diagram of a device manager.

FIG. 28 provides a block diagram of a facility manager component.

FIG. 29 shows a block diagram of an alarm manager.

FIG. 30 shows a block diagram of a notification engine.

FIG. 31 shows a block diagram of a schedule manager.

FIG. 32 shows a sequence diagram for installation and commissioning ofsensors and a data hub with configuration data.

FIG. 33 shows a sequence diagram of a firmware upgrade process.

FIG. 34 shows a sequence diagram for a hotel site setup.

FIG. 35 shows a sequence diagram for maintenance.

FIG. 36 shows a sequence diagram for guest check in.

FIG. 37 shows a sequence diagram for a guest check out.

FIG. 38 shows a sequence diagram for room server management.

FIG. 39 identifies issues addressed by an exemplary management system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Rising energy costs, maintenance, and security are some of the importantchallenges that must be addressed by hospitality facility managers.Unfortunately, addressing these challenges is complicated by the manycompeting issues associated with hospitality, e.g., meeting guestexpectations while maintaining profitability. While some individualsolutions to those challenges exist, implementing individual solutionsinto a facility can be inefficient, difficult, and expensive.Accordingly, management systems that coordinate computer devices acrossa facility to address multiple issues are lacking. As such, it is anobject of the invention to provide a fully integrated management systemthat addresses distinct issues of hospitality and facility managementfrom a common control point.

A major advantage of a management system according to this disclosurelies in the ability to address issues associated with hospitality andfacility infrastructure with cost-effective solutions to maximizeprofitability and improve overall experiences of guests at a hospitalityfacility. For example, specific issues relating to hospitality mayinclude controlling access to rooms and maximizing guest control overtheir own experience within the facility. Issues relating to facilityinfrastructure may involve managing expenses associated with certainhigh-cost utilities (e.g., energy consumption). Embodiments of theinvention therefore implement cost-effective mechanisms for monitoring,reporting, and regulating facility use of such utilities while providingguest control over certain devices connected to the facility. Moreparticularly, as described herein, preferred embodiments of theinvention provide management systems that address a plurality of issuesassociated with access, environment, illumination, occupancy, andutilities.

In a broad sense, the invention is directed to a unified facilitymanagement system comprising an interoperable mesh of varioustechnologies and devices, which may include, occupant databases, accesscontrol systems (e.g., door locks), temperature monitors, energymonitors, workforce management systems, staff or guest devices, andanalytical software. The devices are integrated into a management systemthat addresses challenges associated with facility infrastructure andhospitality from a single point interface for cost-effective andefficient facility management.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary management system 101. The managementsystem 101 is uniquely designed for managing a hospitality facility byaddressing issues relating to both hospitality, and facilityinfrastructure. In particular, issues addressed by the management system101 preferably include issues involving access, environment,illumination, occupancy, and utilities.

The hospitality facility may be any facility related to guestentertainment or lodging, for example, a hotel, a resort, an inn, aclub, a dining facility, a conference center, a cruise ship, etc.

The management system 101, which may be embodied on an internet-basedcomputing system, manages (e.g., controls, oversees, handles) certainaspects of a hospitality facility by communicating and/or exchangingdigital information with a plurality of devices 109 over a network.

In general, the management system 101 involves a mesh network oftechnologies integrated with one another and used to monitor or controlvarious aspects of facility management with the devices describedherein. In particular, the management system 101 includes a computer 103having a processor coupled to memory containing instructions executableby the processor to cause the system 101 to communicate and exchangedata over a network 105 (e.g., a Wi-Fi network) operably associated withthe computer 103 to regulate operations of different devices within thesystem and thus perform various tasks.

The management system 101 is operable to communicate (e.g., send andreceive digital information) with a plurality of devices 109. Theplurality of devices may include a guest device 111, a property managerdevice 113, a staff device 115, and at least one device connected to thefacility 133. As used herein, devices connected to the facility includedevices associated with a particular facility. The devices connected tothe facility need not be physically (e.g., wired or otherwise installed)connected to a facility. Devices connected to the facility 113 includedevices associated with particular rooms, such as guest rooms, and mayinclude a locking device 117, a data hub 141, or a sensor 135.Preferably, the management system 101 is operable to communicate withmultiple different devices connected to the facility 135, for example,at least two or more of a locking device 117, a sensor 135, and a datahub 141. More preferably, the management system is operable tocommunicate with a plurality of each one of a locking device 117, asensor 135, and a data hub 141. For example, the facility may compriseat least two guest rooms and each of those two rooms may have a lockingdevice, a sensor, and a data hub.

The management system 101 is configured to receive data from at leastone of the plurality of devices 109. A portion of the data receivedpreferably includes unique identification information for authenticatingthe respective device. The unique identification information maycomprise, for example, a unique identifier (UID). A UID is a numeric oralphanumeric string that is uniquely associated with a device within agiven system. UIDs make it possible to address that device, so that itcan be accessed and interacted with.

The system 101 may be operable to query a database 121 that comprisesauthentication information. The authentication information may comprisedata identifying a UID associated with a device of a guest or staff, forexample. The system 101 may be operable to compare or correlate uniqueidentification information received from one of the plurality of deviceswith the authentication information to assess whether the device isauthorized to send a communication over the network. The managementsystem 101 generates an output based on data received and results of theauthentication assessment. The output may be provided to a different oneof the plurality of devices 109 and/or a property management system 125.

The output may include computer-readable instructions that controloperations of a device connected to the facility 133, e.g., a devicefound in a guest room, such as, a locking device 117. The output may beresponsive to data received from a guest device or a staff device.Accordingly, the management system 101 provides a mechanism for a guestto operate a device in the guest's room. In other instances, the outputmay include, or be based on, data received by one or more sensors 135.The output may be provided to a property management system 125 (e.g., acomputer system operated by a property manager or owner) or a dataanalysis system 131.

One important aspect of the management system 101 involves thecollection and analysis of data relating to facility operations, e.g.,utilities. As discussed in detail below, devices connected to thefacility 133 preferably include sensors 135. The sensors 135 includedevices that sense and provide data relating to, for example, utilities.For example, the sensors 135 may comprise sensors for sensing andproviding data relating to energy consumption and/or air quality. Thedata may be collected and provided directly to a property managementsystem 125 or a data analysis system 131. Analysis of the data providesfacility managers, owners, staff, etc., with valuable information forassessing aspects of the facility including facility infrastructure(e.g., operational status of devices), profitability, and occupanthealth. The data may be used by facility managers to identify, forexample, areas of the facility with higher utility expenses, e.g., roomsconsuming more energy. Identification of higher utility expenses isvaluable for prioritizing facility upgrades and maximizing profits.

By communicating with multiple different devices over a network 105 themanagement system 101 is operable to coordinate aspects of facilitymanagement across a plurality of different devices 109. Integration ofdifferent devices 109 into one integrated network 105 provides a secureand reliable mechanism for one of the plurality of devices 109 (e.g., aguest device 111) to control operations of a different device, such as,a device inside the guest's room (e.g., a television). By enablingcommunications across different devices, the system 101 leveragescapabilities of any number of different devices to accomplish specifictasks, thereby maximizing guest control of their experience, andfacilitating management of the facility with one integrated managementsystem. For security, the communications may use digitally encryptedcode, such as, for example, hash-based message authentication code.

Communications across the devices 109 are enabled by the network 105.The network 105 may be any network that carries data. However, themanagement system 101 is not limited by any particular network type.Non-limiting examples of suitable networks that may be used as network109 include Wi-Fi wireless data communication technology, a personalarea network (PAN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless local areanetwork (WLAN), a campus area network (CAN), a metropolitan area network(MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a storage-area network (SAN), asystem-area network (also known as SAN), a passive optical local areanetwork (POLAN), an enterprise private network (EPN), a virtual privatenetwork (VPN). digital subscriber link networks (DSL), various secondgeneration (2G), third generation (3G), fourth generation (4G),fifth-generation (5G) cellular-based data communication technologies,Bluetooth radio, Near Field Communication (NFC), the most recentlypublished versions of IEEE 802.11 transmission protocol standards, othernetworks capable of carrying data, and combinations thereof. Preferablythe network comprises a cloud-based network, e.g., the internetcomprising certain accessible databases. In some embodiments, acommunication path between any one of the devices within the system 101may be, in whole or in part, provided by a wired connection.

In preferred embodiments, communications between devices over thenetwork 105 are facilitated by a data hub 141. The data hub 141 improvesefficiency of the management system 101 by, for example, reducing thenumber of different devices that a computer of the management system 101communicates with directly. For example, preferably, the data hub 141 isoperably associated with devices connected to the facility such as oneor more devices of a particular guest room. Communications from thesystem 101 may by transmitted to the hub 141 and from the hub 141transmitted to a respective guest room device. The data hub 141 canimprove communication efficiency within the computers of the managementsystem 101 by directing those communications. In one aspect, the datahub 141 improves efficiency of communications over a network by reducingthe total number of devices that talk to each directly. In addition toimproving efficiency, data security is improved, as the data hub 141 maybe operable to authenticate devices communicating over the networkbefore communications from one device or system are transmitted to adifferent device or system.

FIG. 2 shows interoperable features of a management system 201. Inparticular, illustrated are exemplary associations between certainfeatures of a management system 201 and the interoperable mesh ofvarious technologies and devices associated with that system 201.

Features of the management system 201, for example, may includeinformation that is controlled or influenced by input of a facilitymanager operating a property management system 221. The propertymanagement system includes a computer having a processor coupled tomemory containing instructions executable by the processor to cause thesystem 201 to communicate and exchange data over a network. The propertymanagement system 221 may comprise an interface 223 configured toreceive input from a facility manager, a property manager, an owner, orthe like. The property management system 221 may include administrativefeatures for adjusting parameters of the management system 201, forexample, providing authorization of staff or guest devices forexchanging data over a network. The parameters may be adjusted by anyinput through the interface 223 that causes changes in data informationstored in one or more databases.

Some features of the management system 201 include, but are not limitedto, providing guest offers and event bookings 203, managing facilitymaintenance and workforce 205, and/or collecting and viewing datarelated to facility infrastructure 209. It may be desirable that each ofthose features 203, 205, and 209, involve data input from the facilitymanager. As such, the management system 201 is preferably configured toprovide a bidirectional flow of information between a propertymanagement system 221 and other devices associated with the managementsystem 201.

Features of the management system 201 may further include featuresassociated with at least one of guest and property access management227, energy management 229, or comprise a communication engine 231.Information relating to those features 227, 229, and 231, may not, insome instances, require input from a facility manager. Informationrelating to those features 227, 229, and 231 may be handled on thebackend by computers and associated devices of the system 201. Thefacility manager may, however, make adjustments to one or moredatabases, for example, providing an update to a guest databaseidentifying registered guests, which is used by the system 201 to thenmanage guest access automatically without further input from a manager.

The management system involves communicating and sharing data with aplurality of different devices. To communicate with the differentdevices, elements of the management system may involve certain softwareapplications hosted by the devices. The software may be stored on aserver and downloaded onto the devices. The software may comprisecontrol logic that, when executed by a processor of the device, causesthe processor to perform the functions of the invention as describedherein

FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a guest device application 301. Inparticular, the block diagram is related to an application 301 for aguest device running an Android-based operating system.

The guest device, as it pertains to this disclosure, may relate to anycomputing device that is under a guest's control and is operable toexchange data with the management system. The guest device may include,for example, any one of a personal computer, a mobile communicationdevice, e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, a wearable device, or any otherdevice comprising a computer and operable to communicate digital dataover a network. In preferred embodiments, the guest device comprises asmartphone, (i.e., a phone that is enabled to communicate over theinternet). Communications with management systems of the invention arefacilitated by the application 301, which enables communications to beexchanged with the management system over the network from auser-friendly interface.

In particular, the guest device preferably runs the application 301using computer-executable instructions contained in memory of thedevice. In preferred embodiments, the application 301 is installed ontoa guest device by the guest. The application 301 may be downloaded andinstalled from a sever associated with the facility.

For example, the guest device application 301 may be a hospitalityfacility associated application, such as, the guest device applicationsold under the trade name Porta by Caleido. Although, the embodimentillustrated comprises an Android-based application, a person of skill inthe art will recognize that a similar application may be provided forcompatibility with an iOS operating system. The application 301 maycomprise Java code. The application 301 code is configured to provide aguest with access to a core set of functions relating to the facility.The application 301 preferably includes an interface 305 with a flexibledesign layout that allows for the customization of a guest experience.The interface 305 may be fine-tuned for compatibility with parameters ofthe facility. Some fine-tuning may be performed by a facility managerthrough, for example, an application associated with the facility, forexample, a facility application provided under the trade name Ikanos byCaleido.

Preferably, the guest device application 301 is installed on a guestdevice of each guest to provide control of the guest's experience at thefacility. For example, the guest device application 301 may enable theguest device to communicate with the facility management system throughan interface 305 so as to manage, for example, time of check-in, controlaspects of room climate (e.g., an air conditioning setting), sendrequests for room cleaning, and/or provide room access for managementand security.

For example, preferably within premises of a facility, a guest caninteract with an interface 305 of the application 301 to provide inputfor unlocking or locking a door of the facility. The interface 305 maybe designed to receive different types of input from a guest, including,making a request for room service. The interface 305 may be configuredto receive input from a guest for controlling one or more devicesconnected to the facility, such as, electronic devices associated with aparticular room. Preferably, the application interface 305 is configuredto receive input from the guest to manage one or more of accessing aroom of the facility (e.g., opening a door lock), adjusting roomtemperature, adjusting an entertainment device (e.g., turning on or offa television), changing room ambiance (e.g., turning on or off a light),or making a room service request. For example, through the guest deviceapplication, the guest can make a maintenance or cleanup request, andauthorize and/or schedule any such request.

The application interface 305 may provide data relating to alerts ornotifications for specific information or events. Some of thenotifications may relate to room bookings, access key control, identifywhen a guest room is unlocked or locked, or relate to emergencyinformation, such as, instructions related an evacuation. Theapplication 301 may also be used to view or adjust room relatedactivity, including, room temperature, air quality, and air conditionersettings. In other instances, the application 301 may function as amarketing tool. For example, a facility manager may send an offer,advertise a special event, send an invite, etc., to a guest through theapplication. The guest may receive a notification on the guest deviceand may respond to the offer through an input receivable by theinterface 305 of the application 301.

Preferably, the application 301 includes computer-readable instructionsfor interacting with drivers 309, e.g., kernel drivers, of the guestdevice. The drivers may include a Bluetooth driver, a wireless driver,an audio driver, etc. A Bluetooth driver, for example, may be used tosend communications for locking or unlocking a locking device of thefacility. The Bluetooth driver may be used to send or receive datarelating to a status of a locking device. An audio driver may be used toprovide audio associated with alerts or notifications. In someembodiments, functionality of a driver, e.g., a wireless driver, a maybe controlled through a software of the management system.

FIGS. 4A-4D show screenshots of a guest device application.

FIG. 4A shows an exemplary check-in screen of a guest application. Thescreen may include information relating to guest checking, such as, timeand day of check in/check out, number of guests, room number, etc.

FIG. 4B shows a screen of a guest application homepage. The homepageidentifies a guest's room and includes a menu of options selectable bythe guest by, for example, touching the screen of the guest device toselect the menu option. Options may include hyperlinks to webpages withvarious room amenities, bath amenities, concierge amenities, diningservices, offers, events, etc.

FIG. 4C shows a screen of a guest application room unlock page. Theunlock page may include an option for sharing a key with another guest.

FIG. 4D shows a screen of a guest application for making an amenitiesrequest. In particular, the screen shows various bath amenities that maybe selected by a guest for delivery to a guest room.

Management systems of the invention are also operable to communicate,over a network, with one or more staff devices. A staff device is anelectronic device under control of a staff member associated with thefacility. The staff device may be operable to request and receiveinformation over a network (e.g., a cloud-based network). The staffdevice may include any one of a personal computer, a mobilecommunication device, e.g., a smartphone, a tablet, a wearable device,or any other device comprising a computer and operable to communicatedigital data over a network. In preferred embodiments, the staff devicecomprises a smartphone, (i.e., a phone that is enabled to communicateover the internet). To communicate with systems of the invention, thestaff device preferably hosts an application to send and receive datawith the management system (or devices associated with said system) overthe network.

In preferred embodiments, a staff device runs an application operablyassociated with a management system of a facility. The application maybe installed onto the staff device. The application may be downloadedand installed from a media content database associated with thefacility.

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of an exemplary staff device application501. In particular, the staff device application 501 relates to anapplication for a staff device running an Android operating system.Similar staff device applications may be designed for execution bydevices running an iOS operating system.

For example, the staff device application 501 may be a hospitalityfacility associated application, such as, the application sold under thetrade name Cheirismo by Caleido. The application may comprise one of anAndroid-based application or an iOS-based application. The applicationmay comprise Java code or Swift code. The application code may beconfigured to enable a staff to access a core set of functions relatingto management of a facility. The application preferably includes aninterface with a flexible design that allows for the customization ofstaff device features and/or to be fine-tuned for compatibility withparameters of the management system of a facility. Some fine-tuning maybe performed by a facility manager through, for example, an applicationassociated with the facility itself, for example, a facility applicationprovided under the trade name Ikanos by Caleido.

The staff device application may be an Android-based applicationdesigned to accommodate multiple different employee roles, e.g., a floormanager and/or a maintenance staff. Alternatively, the staff deviceapplication may be tailored around a specific employee role. Forexample, a floor manager may run an application with features specificto performing duties of a floor manager while a maintenance or custodialstaff device runs an application hosting features specific to theirduties.

For example, a device of a staff member serving a maintenance role maycomprise an application with a maintenance role interface 503.Accordingly, the interface may be tailored to the needs of maintenancestaff. Tailoring the interface around a staff member's role at thefacility can make the application more user friendly and improvesecurity by restricting certain software features. The maintenance roleinterface 503, for example, may be restricted to exchanging datarelating to alerts and notifications, task assignments and status, orissue reports.

A corresponding device of a floor manager may comprise an application501 with an interface tailored to the duties of the floor manager. Theinterface 505 may include features that relate more particularly to afloor manager's assignments, e.g., day-to-day management tasks. Forexample, the interface 505 be configured to receive input thatidentifies an area of a facility (e.g., a guest room) in need ofmaintenance or custodial attention. When scheduling an assignment, thefloor manager may assign a specific task within one or more room as partof a schedule that is assigned to staff (e.g., electricians, plumbers,custodians). The interface may also be configured to receive input fromthe floor manager to operate devices connected to the facility, forexample, to lock or unlock a room, e.g., for a scheduled maintenance orrepair, or to initiate an emergency alarm in case of fire or emergency,and/or to view alerts or notifications, including, notificationsidentifying activities within a facility.

In addition, a manager may use a staff device application to add orassign roles to staff for a given time period. The assignments mayinclude authorization to access one or more rooms of the facility. Thisauthority, however, may time-out at the end of a day or shift or withina time period as mandated by property owners.

The floor manager may also use the application to facilitate customerloyalty by advertising events or functions associated with a facility.In addition, hotel management may use the application to post specialpromotions, rewards, discounts, or coupons.

Staff members of a facility may be required to have a staff deviceapplication installed on their personal devices (i.e., staff devices),so as to communicate with a management system of a facility. Theapplication can be installed on the devices of staff of each of theworkers, or a facility manager may distribute devices to staff, whichmay be returned after completion of the staff members shift. Each staffmember may have a separate login for each effective function. Each staffmember may view scheduled room cleaning chart and allocated timeslots,and access/unlock each room as per the scheduled chart, not necessarilyin order of allocation. Once a room is opened, a staff member may beprevented from simultaneously opening another room. Assigned tasks perroom may be presented with checkboxes against each task, and the staffmember may select and identify an assignment as complete upon completionof allocated assignments. Moreover, from a staff device applicationinterface, a staff member may report/submit issues or problems withrooms or supply items.

The staff device application may be pivotal to a facility managementsystem as it may be used to coordinate elements of the system. Forexample, a facility manager may control any number of featuresassociated with the facility management system through a staff deviceapplication. Limits to the staff device application may be imposed bycertain parameters established using a management system application,such as, the management system application sold under the trade nameIkanos, by Caleido. A facility manager may input any and all staffdevice or guest device control parameters into an interface of amanagement system application and may view a status against eachparameter in real-time through the staff device application.

FIGS. 6A-6D shows screenshots of an exemplary staff device application.

FIG. 6A shows an exemplary welcome screen.

FIG. 6B shows an exemplary welcome screen identifying certainfunctionalities of the application.

FIG. 6C shows a screen of a home page of a floor manager application.

FIG. 6D shows a room service page.

In preferred implementations, a management system of the inventioncomprises a software. The software is preferably a facility managementsoftware, for example, the management software sold under the trade nameIkanos by Caleido. The software may be stored in a computer programproduct and loaded into the management system using removable storagedrive, hard drive or communications interface. The control logic(software), when executed by processor, causes processor to performfunctions of the invention as described herein.

The software may reside in a locally hosted environment and provide aninterface for connecting or controlling existing property managementsolutions. The facility management software interface may be a standardinterface or may be customized to fit parameters and needs of aparticular facility. Advantageously, the software interface may befurther designed to accommodate aspects of property managementsolutions, such as those property management solutions provided underthe trade name WinHMS, or Opera, or Hotelier, or Protel, or Fidelio.

In some regards, facility management software is provided for thepurposes of coordinating the various computers and devices connected toa management system of a facility. For example, the facility managementsoftware may perform roles associated with guest information collection,connecting or identifying a guest to a room, associating a guest devicewith a particular guest, identifying and controlling devices connectedto facility, e.g., a computer operated door lock, a motion sensor, anenergy sensor, etc.

Bidirectional information flow of guest data may be used to facilitateoperations with management systems. These data may include personalguest details, allocated rooms, associations of guests with respectiveguest devices, or booking information details. Collection of data may becoordinated with door locks of an associated guest room without any userintervention.

The software may provide features directed to monitoring a hospitalityfacility. In particular, because the facility management softwareconnects to a network collecting a plurality of devices operableassociated with the facility, the facility management software is usefulto collect, analyze, store, and/or report information from the pluralityof devices. This data may be processed and sent to custom analysissoftware system, for example, the analysis software system sold underthe trade name Cielo by Caleido. The analysis software may be hosted onAmazon Web Services (AWS) in a Software as a Service (SaaS) environment.The data may include, for example, data related to energy consumption ofthe facility. The data may be collected, analyzed, and reported to oneor more property owners or facility managers. Some operationallycritical data may be gleaned from the collected data and may be providedto staff members through a staff device application. The information anddata that is collected and maintained by may be locally backed-uplocally on one or more memory devices associated with the software. Thememory devices may be on or off facility premises.

FIG. 7A is a screenshot of an exemplary dashboard interface displayingfacility data 701 provided by management system software consistent withthe present disclosure. FIGS. 7A-1, 7A-2, 7A-3, and 7A-4 are enlargedscreenshots of the dashboard interface, showing various metrics. Thedata 701 may be data collected from devices within the facility, e.g.,energy consumption sensors. The computer management software may be usedanalyze and/or display data.

FIG. 7B is a screenshot of an exemplary booking management interfaceprovided by management system software, including features for managingroom bookings. FIGS. 7B-1 and 7B-2 are enlarged views of portions of thebooking management interface.

Management systems of the invention are operable to communicate andexchange data over a network with multiple types of devices connectedwith the facility. The devices connected to the facility may beimportant to various aspects of facility management. For example, thedevices may relate to facility access, security, or energy costs. Inpreferred embodiments, devices connected with the facility includes oneor more locking devices. The locking devices preferably comprisecomputer-controlled locking mechanisms operable to communicate with themanagement system over a network.

A locking device of the invention preferably includes acomputer-controllable locking device, such as, the locking device soldunder the trade name Kleio by Caleido.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating aspects of an exemplary lockingdevice 801. The locking device 801 is configured to communicate with amanagement system by exchanging data over a network 807. Thecommunications may include data relating to registered guests or staffmembers of a facility. The data may further include uniqueidentification information associated with a device of a guest or staff.For example, the data may identify a particular guest device 805 of aguest that is authorized to enter the room, such that, when the guestrequests entry with the device 805, the locking device 801 canaccommodate the request.

Communications between the locking device 801 and the management systemmay be facilitated by a data hub 803. The locking device 801 maycommunicate with the datahub by Bluetooth or over the network 807. Thedata hub 803 may include memory for storing identification data ofregistered guests or staff, which may be received from the managementsystem. In this way, data relating to identification data of personsauthorized to enter a room are made accessible faster, and in situationsin which, for example, a Wi-Fi network of a facility is down.

FIG. 9 is a front view of an exemplary locking device 901. The lockingdevice 901 provides a computer controlled, smart-lock solution forsecurity and convenience of guests at the facility. The locking device901 is configured to receive data in connection with a request forentry, preferably by Bluetooth, from a guest or staff member and, uponauthenticating that the request is of an authorized entrant, provideaccess to a room of a facility.

The locking device 901 may be configured to mount to any conventionaldoor 907 of a facility. The locking device 901 includes a computer (notshown) connected to a processor for executing instructions relating to astatus of a lock 905. The locking device 901 is further configured tocommunicate and exchange data over a network. The data may includeinformation for identifying persons authorized to enter a room. The datamay include information pertaining to a room entry request, which mayinclude a time stamp, for creating an archive of guest or staff thatrequest room entry and when said request was made.

The locking device 901 may include a display 903. The display 903 may bean LCD display. The display 903 may be configured to receiving manualinput from a guest or staff member. For example, the display 903 may beconfigured to provide a keypad for entering a key code.

FIG. 10 is an exploded view of an exemplary locking device 1001. Thelocking device 1001 comprises a front panel 1003 and a rear panel 1005.The front panel 1003 may house a communication engine, and a displayunit (e.g., an LCD display). The display unit may include an LCD displaywith touch screen and LED indications of status. The rear panel 1005 mayhouse a motor, a battery, and a charging electronic.

The locking device may be implemented by facility to eliminate thetraditional “master key” concept that has caused maintenance andsecurity headaches for facility managers. In some embodiments, thelocking device operates in tandem with a hub of management systems. Thehub is preferably a data control hub, for example, the data control hubprovided under the trade name IntelliHub by Caleido. The locking devicemay function similarly to standard hotel door locks, except that thelocking mechanism may be controllable through, for example, a guestdevice application, or a staff device application. The locking devicemay include a display 903, such as, an LCD display, with a touch screeninterface on the outside and a knob (not shown) to lock oneself in fromthe inside. This knob can also serve as a do-not disturb function. Oncelocked, the locking device may not be opened from the outside, likestandard hotel room locks. If an allocated unlock/lock code is lost, thecodes may be regenerated on an application of a staff device or a guestdevice by the guest or staff of the facility.

In certain instances, a guest may book a room with the facility using aguest device or check-in with a staff member of the facility, forexample, at the front desk. Once a room is booked, information containedinside memory or a database associated with the facility may be updatedto identify a guest with a particular room of the facility. For example,when the guest attempts to check-in using a guest device application,unique identification data identifying the guest and the deviceassociated with the guest may be provided by the application to themanagement system and stored in memory or a facility database. Themanagement system may store the identification information and associatesaid information with one or more rooms of a facility. The managementsystem information may notify the guest through the application whichroom the guest has been assigned. Advantageously, the entire process mayoccur without any human interaction.

When the guest arrives at the room of the facility, the guest deviceapplication may be used to unlock the door. For example, a lockingmechanism of the locking device may be controlled through a Bluetoothinterface, or other similar methods. If the guest does not have adevice, the guest may be assigned a code, e.g., a 4-6-digit numeric lockcode, to unlock or lock the device. The code may be entered on atouchpad of the device to unlock the door. Once unlocked, the door lockcan remain open for a period of 30 seconds, or similarly brief period,before the unit auto-locks. Alternatively, the locking device may belocked by the guest.

In some embodiments, the locking device includes memory for storying alist of authenticated users or guests or identification information oftheir associated devices. For example, memory of the locking devices maystore up to 1024 users, or more. Such locking devices may be integratedinto a guest room, a conference hall, or a luxury lounge. The numberusers or guests stored in memory of the locking device will likelydepend on the type of room associated with the locking device.

A list of authenticated users stored in memory may be modified withsoftware of the management system, an application of a guest device, oran application of a staff device. For example, when a guest is loggedinto the system, the front-desk, or a floor manager may assignpermissions that are transmitted to one or more locking devices at thefacility. The locking device may be operably associated with one or moredatabases. The databases may store data used to identify users or guestsassociated with a room. The locking device may store guest informationas well as virtual lock/unlock codes allocated by guests. All permittedusers who have a virtual lock/unlock codes, may open a door with theirmobile application or by entering the respective codes on the keypad.User information can be timed-out at each check-out cycle.

Locking devices may display custom messages on associated LCD interface.The messages may include, for example, a room number, a welcome message,or identify an event. The same display doubles may be used as a keypadto enter codes for locking or unlocking the locking device.

In some embodiments, the locking device communicates data with a datahub of the management system. Data may include successful orunsuccessful unlock/lock events. The data may be stored in memory of adatabase of the hub. The data may be viewable with a staff deviceapplication, a guest device application, or a software connected to thefacility. Communication between the locking device and the hub may occurover a network (e.g., a cloud-based network), or by Bluetooth, and thesoftware can be designed to manage the connectivity between the lockingdevice and the hub.

FIG. 11 shows an exemplary data hub 1101. The data hub 1101 ispreferably a data control unit such as the data control unit providedunder the trade name IntelliHub by Caleido. The data hub 1101 mayfunction as a data or a node aggregator for a room or a designated areaof a facility. The hub 1101 is configured to receive instructions fromthe management system by, for example, the computer management software,and transmits those instructions to the one or more devices and orsensors associated with the hub 1101. Moreover, the hub 1101 maytransmit data that is collected or aggregated from the associateddevices and/or sensors the management system. In addition to thesefunctions, the hub 1101 may also turn on power to the room uponsuccessful authentication feedback from a locking device. The hub 1101may also have functionality built-in to interact with devices of theroom, for example, an air conditioner, and/or controls to settemperature settings. This feature is advantageous because it enablesthe guest to pre-condition the room once check-in is complete. Thefunctionality may be achieved through a coordinated effort of the huband a support device.

FIG. 12 shows a deployment scenario of data hubs 1201 at a facilitymanagement system. The deployment scenario illustrates how the hub 1201may assume various roles of a node data collection unit to aggregate andmove data through a hospitality facility via the management system. Thedeployments are flexible and can cover any desired area of the facilityproperty, including, for example, a lounge 1205, a kitchen, 1207, aguest room 1209, a restaurant or dining area, a reception desk, a frontdesk, an auditorium, or a conference room. In all these cases, the hubcan form a master node in the area and may be operable to exchange datawith sensors and devices associated with the management system. Thenode, by relaying directing instructions from the management system,provides for efficient movement of data through the system by minimizingthe number of devices and sensors that the management system mustcoordinate directly.

In some instances, a hub of a management system may be incorporated intoa locking device. The locking device, which is advantageously positionedin close proximity with sensors and devices of each room of thefacility, may have a built-in data hub.

FIG. 13 shows an exemplary control management system 1301 forintegration into a facility. The control management system 1301 isoperable to exchange communications from one or more guest devices 1303and/or one or more staff devices 1305. Communications from the guestdevices 1303 or staff devices 1305 may involve instructions forcontrolling one or more devices connected to the facility 1333, such as,for example, a locking device 1307, or an environmental control device1309 (e.g., an air conditioner). The control management system 1301 isoperable to exchange communication with devices connected to thefacility 1333 in response to data received from guest devices 1303 orstaff devices 1305.

In preferred embodiments, exchanges of communications between guestdevices and staff devices are coordinated through a data hub 1313. Thedata hub 1313 is preferably associated with specific devices connectedto the facility 1333, such as, devices of a specific room. Integrationof a data hub 1313 is beneficial for coordinating data exchange betweenguest or staff devices 1303, 1305, and the control management system1301 because the data hub 1313 can identify, by virtue of its connectionto the respective devices 1333, to the management system 1301 the roomfrom which devices are subject to control.

Identification data may be used by the management system 1301, or thedata hub 1313, to authorize certain communication exchanges, forexample, to authorize whether a communication from a guest device cancontrol a device connected to the facility 1333. Data authorization mayinvolve correlating or comparing unique identification data of the guestdevice 1303 with authentication information stored in a database 1321.The authentication information may comprise data associated a registeredguest with a room of the facility. The authentication information mayfurther include data associating the registered guest with the uniqueidentification information of the guest device. The authenticationinformation may comprise data associating the unique identificationinformation with a room for which the device is authorized to operate.When there is a match between information stored in the database andunique identification data, a communication exchange may be authorized.

Management systems preferably include one or more sensors 1311 forcollecting and reporting data relating to aspects of facility resources.For example, some sensors of the management system can record datarelating to energy consumption. The recorded data can be reported to aproperty manager, a facility manager, a staff, or a guest. The recordeddata may be useful from a facility management perspective forcontrolling costs and improving profitability. Data from the sensors1311 may be collected by the data hub 1313 and provided on a periodicbasis to the management system 1301.

FIG. 14 shows block diagram illustrating an environment control system1401. The environment control system 1401 may be connected to sensors1409, e.g., motion sensors. The environment control system 1401 may be acontrol system such as the one provided under the trade name Amenos byCaleido. The environment control system 1401 may control a roomenvironment by regulating room temperature, for example, by controllingan air condition (AC) system. The environment control system 1401 may beconfigured as a plug-in replacement for existing thermostat-based HVACblower control units and features modern split AC controls and motionsensing electronics. The environment control system 1401 may interfacewith a data hub 1403 in the guest room. The guest associated with theroom may control any of split AC controls from a guest device 1407hosting a guest device application. When not in the room, the guest maysignal the unit, through the guest device application, in conjunctionwith the data hub 1403, to shut down the AC and avoid unnecessary powerconsumption.

In the event that a guest forgets to signal the availability, one ormore motion sensors 1409 may be used to detect the presence or absenceof a guest through computer algorithms stored in memory of the sensorcontrol system and executed by the sensor control system to signal theAC unit to, for example, turn off. All commands from the guest device1407 may be transmitted through the management system via the hub. Insome instances, it may be desirable to program AC operation schedules,which can be programmed through a computer software 1411 of themanagement system and relayed via a data hub to the sensor controlsystem 1401. AC temperature may be scheduled for automatic control basedon times of day or whether a room is vacant. In some instances, data,such as data associating a guest with a room for a certain day, or dataidentifying whether a room will be vacant, is stored in a database ofthe management system. The management system may communicate with thedatabase storing the data to create schedules of operations and providesaid schedules to environment control systems of guest rooms.

The environment control system may interface with a blower and controlthe blower based on room temperature. Standard high/low speed modes maybe controlled for the blower. Optionally heating systems are also besupported and controlled through the environment control system.

Thus, management systems of the invention may regulate issues associatedwith occupancy by employing one or more motion sensors to identify roomsthat are either occupied or unoccupied and manage devices associatedwith the room accordingly.

FIG. 15 shows an exemplary energy sensor 1501. The energy sensor 1501may be, for example, an energy monitoring sensor such as the energymonitoring sensor provided under the trade name Mikos by Caleido. Thesensor 1501 preferably includes a computer having a processor coupled tomemory containing instructions executable by the processor to cause thesensor 1501 to sense or measure energy consumption data and communicatethe data over a network. Execution of instructions may be furtheroperable to cause the sensor 1501 to receive instructions over thenetwork from the management system.

In particular embodiments, the sensor 1501 comprises a sensing devicethat plugs into a standard power socket of a facility to measure powerand energy consumed by an electrical device connected to the powersocket through the sensor 1501. Accordingly, the sensor 1501 may includean interface (similar to a conventional socket) for receiving anelectrical plug of a device.

The sensor 1501 may communicate with the management system over anetwork, such as, a Wi-Fi network, and may be part of a network operablyassociated with a data hub. In preferred embodiments, the sensor 1501will be used with devices associated with high energy consumption, forexample, a water heater, an air conditioner, a refrigerator, or anykitchen appliance within a given power ranges.

The sensor 1501 may be a single-phase device that operable in a rangeof, for example, 90V-270V (45-60 Hz), and may measure voltage, current,and/or energy consumed. The measurements are useful for trackingpurposes, and not just for electrical metering. The sensor 1501 mayallow for a programmable alarm, an alarm trigger, and/or an event alteror notification that can be sent out to devices connected with themanagement system. The notifications may signal a deviation in energyconsumption. The deviation may be a change beyond a programmedthreshold. The device may signal that the device associated with thesensor is functioning sub-optimally. Accordingly, with the integrationof energy sensors into a management system, a facility manager canidentify if a device, e.g., an AC, needs maintenance (e.g., an airfilter change) to ensure that facility devices, particularly thoseassociated with high energy consumption, are operating withinpre-determined parameters.

The sensor 1501 is preferably configured to collect data related toenergy consumption. The data may be provided through the managementsystem to a software or data analysis system for processing andreporting analytics associated with the facility. The reporting of suchdata is useful for property managers to identify and control facilityexpenses through, for example, equipment upgrades.

In some instances, the sensor 1501 may be operable to receive data fromthe communication system, for example, through an associated data hub.The sensor 1501 may further be operable to respond to the data by, forexample, cutting power to a device plugged into the sensor 1501. Thesensor may cut power to the device by, for example, regulating a flow ofelectricity to the device via a circuit. That is, the sensor may beconfigured to break a circuit of electricity flowing from an outlet tothe device via the sensor.

FIG. 16 shows an air quality sensor for use with a management system.The air quality sensor may be an air sensor such as the air sensor soldunder the trade name AirQ by Caleido. The air quality sensor is usefulfor sensing air quality within an area of a facility. Since air qualityis important for the health and comfort of facility occupants, e.g.,guest and staff members alike, measuring air quality is important forfacility management. Measurements of air quality can be used to identifyareas of a facility in need of air quality maintenance.

Some features of the air quality sensor include ability to takemeasurements of pressure, humidity, temperature, and gas. The airquality sensor may measure relative humidity, with a fast response time.The air quality sensor may measure gas, including, volatile organiccompounds. The air quality sensor may measure barometric pressure andaltitude. The air quality sensor may measure ambient temperature. Theair quality sensor may take periodic measurements, for example, every 1hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, 12 hours, or 24 hours. The managementsystem may compare measurements from the air quality sensor and comparethose measurements with optimal measurements. Any deviation between theair quality sensor measurement and optimal measurement, beyond apredetermined threshold, may result in an alarm or notification beingtransmitted to one of a plurality of different devices or a propertymanagement system.

FIG. 17 identifies correlations between output of an exemplary airquality sensor and air quality. In particular, based on intelligentalgorithms, an air quality sensor of a management system may provideoutput in the form of an IAQ output. The IAQ output may be in a range of0-500, with increments of 1 to indicate differences of air quality. TheIAQ ranges are illustrated in the figure. Based on detected IAQ levels,a facility manager takes actions to manage air quality in various roomsof a facility. For example, a facility manager may choose to manuallydeploy room an air-purifier. There may be an option to automaticallyturn-on or turn-off a room air-purifier. For example, purifiers may beincorporated in rooms of the facility and may be, for example, turned onautomatically by the management system in response to a sensor detectingan air quality above a pre-determined threshold (e.g., above 50, orabove 100). Alternatively, a staff member or facility manager may benotified when the air quality if sensed above the pre-determinedthreshold at which point the staff or facility manager can activate thepurifier through the system. Advantageously, incorporation of the sensoridentifies when a purifier is needed such that the purifier is notrunning and consuming energy unnecessarily. If the air quality isparticularly poor, or reaches a dangerous level, e.g., above 150, analarm may be triggered.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram of an analytical software system 1801 formanaging a facility. Rooms of a facility preferably includes a pluralityof sensors, such as, one or more of a temperature sensor, an air qualitysensor, a later usage sensor, a lock, or power sensor. The sensors takemeasurements and provide data to a data hub 1803. The data hub 1803transmits data from a room to a computer of a management system 1805.The management system 1805 is operable to receive sensor data from aplurality of data hubs 1803 at the facility and also receives anonymizeddata from a property (facility) server 1809. The data from each propertyof the a customer may be gathered in software system 1801 using a datasync process. A user (e.g., facility manager, property manager, staffmember) may access the centralized data from using a web applicationassociated with the software system. Users associated with the propertymay also access the data from a management system server using a mobileapplication.

Preferably, the analytical software system comprises a software servicesuch as the service offered under the trade name Cielo by Caleido. Thesoftware may be hosted as a Software-as-a-Service (SAAS) solution forfacility managers. Aided by adapters for interconnection with existingproperty management solutions, the analytical software may acceleratedata capture and process event streams in near-real time. For example,when a property is installed with a property management solution, suchas the solution sold under the trade name the Caleido Solution, byCaleido, the software interface for the property may be enabled by atechnical team interfacing with the property owners. The software mayallow facility managers or owners to view property statistics, forexample, through a metrics dashboard. The software may be configured toreceive data from various computers, sensors, and devices through thefacility via the management system and process that data into actionableinformation, for example, information relating to facility expenses thatcan be improved by certain facility upgrades.

The software may comprise an interface with a custom dashboard allowingmanagers or owners to monitor, in real-time, energy consumption patternsover a facility. The interface may comprise one or more dashboards forviewing interactive reports or data charts. The interface may provide anin-depth analysis of collected data. The in-depth analysis may analyzedata collected from one or more facilities via sensors. The in-depthanalysis may include analytical processes such as pivoting, filtering,drill down, charting, and custom calculations.

Other features of the software system include data virtualization. Datavirtualization allows multiple data sources to be combined into a singlemetadata view to enable analyses and reporting across sources withoutrequiring extract, transmit load (ETL) processes or a data warehouse ofeach data source individually. Data integration (ETL) can be used toextract data from various sources, transform the data based on definedbusiness rules, and load the data into a centralized data warehouse ordata mark.

The facility owners or managers may use the analysis software system toanalyze best practices and processes from top-performing avenues. Thedata software may include (but is not limited to): a user administrationand subscription management; a user login, organization and propertyinterface; logging—user level and admin level; generation of metrics andanalytics; user reports; password protection; and service requestmanagement.

FIGS. 19A and 19B are an exemplary screenshots of an interface providedon a user's device displaying various data to a user. FIGS. 19A-1,19A-2, and 19A-3 are enlarged views of interfaces showing data relatingto room availability 1903, occupancy status 1905, and sensor status1907, respectively. FIGS. 19B-1 and 19B-2 are enlarged views ofinterfaces showing data relating to booking references 1911 and guestreviews 1915. The data are presented in a format that is simple and easyto digest. As such, the learning curve for using and operating thesystem is minimal and decisions regarding the facility (e.g.,identifying aspects of facility infrastructure of upgrades) can be madequickly.

A management system according to this disclosure provides for efficient,cost-effective facility management through an interoperable mesh oftechnologies and devices. The management system is operable to combinedifferent technologies (e.g., computers, networks, software, devices,sensors, etc.) to manage and address distinct issues. In preferredembodiments, the issues addressed are associated with both hospitalityand facility infrastructure so as to maximize profitability and guestexperience. The management system addresses issues relating tohospitality and facility infrastructure with one centralized andintegrated system.

As a person of skill in the art will appreciate, the management systemcoordinates activities of different systems and devices (e.g., a guestdevice, a staff device, or a device integrated into the facility) bymanaging the exchange of digital data between those devices over anetwork. Digital data, as it pertains to this disclosure, may bedescribed as the discrete, discontinuous representation of informationor works. Numbers and letters are commonly used representations. Digitaldata may be contrasted with analog signals which behave in a continuousmanner, and with continuous functions such as sounds, images, and othermeasurements. The exchange of digital data over a network generallyrelates to any information exchange or information sharing doneelectronically or through certain systems. Information exchange mayinvolve a bidirectional information transfer in digital data. As,“information,” as described herein generally refers to (digital) datathat encodes and represents the information at hand, including, requestsfor services or computer executable instructions for adjusting anoperation or setting of an in-room device (e.g., an A/C setting orlight).

In certain embodiments, the management system coordinates informationexchanges between a hub and/or a server using a Message QueuingTelemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol. MQTT relates to an openOrganization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards(OASIS) and International Organization for Standardization (ISO)standard (ISO/IEC 20922) lightweight, publish-subscribe network protocolthat transports messages between devices. The protocol usually runs overTCP/IP; however, any network protocol that provides ordered, lossless,bi-directional connections may support MQTT. MQTT is an advantageousprotocol for use with management systems of this disclosure since MQTTis optimized for connections with remote locations where a “small codefootprint” is required or the network bandwidth is limited.

Specifically, an MQTT protocol may define two types of network entities:a message broker and a number of clients (i.e., any device that runs anMQTT library and connects to an MQTT broker over a network). An MQTTbroker is a server that receives all messages from the clients and thenroutes the messages to the appropriate destination clients. An MQTTclient is any device (from a micro controller up to a fully-fledgedserver) that runs an MQTT library and connects to an MQTT broker over anetwork.

Information can be organized in a hierarchy of topics. When a publisherhas a new item of data to distribute, it can send a control message withthe data to the connected broker. The broker then distributes theinformation to any clients that have subscribed to that topic. Thepublisher does not need to have any data on the number or locations ofsubscribers, and subscribers, in turn, do not have to be configured withany data about the publishers. According to a preferred MQTT of theinvention, information is organized by six topics, e.g., One topic topublish messages to the server, one topic for device data, one topic fordevice alerts, one topic for device health packet, one topic for lastwill, and one topic for server to hub. There may be at least 50 hubs.There may be one global topic for messages, e.g., a Firmware update.Devices of the management system may be configured to listen to ‘Globaltopic/device UID’ topic.

If a broker receives a message on a topic for which there are no currentsubscribers, the broker may discard the message unless the publisher ofthe message designated the message as a retained message. A retainedmessage is a normal MQTT message with the retained flag set to true. Thebroker may store the last retained message and the corresponding QoS forthe selected topic. Each client that subscribes to a topic pattern thatmatches the topic of the retained message receives the retained messageimmediately after they subscribe. The broker may store only one retainedmessage per topic. This allows new subscribers to a topic to receive themost current value rather than waiting for the next update from apublisher.

When a publishing client first connects to the broker, it can set up adefault message to be sent to subscribers if the broker detects that thepublishing client has unexpectedly disconnected from the broker. Clientsmay only interact with a broker, but a system may contain several brokerservers that exchange data based on their current subscribers' topics.

A minimal MQTT control message may be as little as two bytes of data. Acontrol message may carry nearly 256 megabytes of data, or more, ifneeded. There may be different message types used to connect anddisconnect a client from a broker, to publish data, to acknowledgereceipt of data, and to supervise the connection between client andserver.

MQTT generally uses TCP protocol for data transmission. A variant,MQTT-SN, may be used over other transports such as UDP or Bluetooth.

MQTT, according to the disclosure, sends connection credentials(authorization data) in plain text format. Data security measures may beimplemented by, for example, using TLS to encrypt and protect thetransferred information against interception, modification, or forgery.

In preferred embodiment, communications will be carried via a MQTTprotocol using a Mosquitto broker. Mosquitto is an open source (EPL/EDLlicensed) message broker that implements the MQTT protocol. Mosquitto islightweight and is suitable for use on a plurality of different devicesincluding those from low power single board computers to full servers.

In some embodiments Heartbeats will be implemented using the Last willand testament (LWT) specification of the MQTT protocol. The last willmessage is a normal MQTT message with a topic, retained message flag,quality of service (QoS), and payload. The broker stores the messageuntil it detects that the client has disconnected ungracefully. Inresponse to the ungraceful disconnect, the broker sends the last-willmessage to all subscribed clients of the last-will message topic. If theclient disconnects gracefully with a correct disconnect message, thebroker discards the stored LWT message. Appropriate QoS levels will beused to transmit messages across the topics. QoS level considerationsinclude Hub should not have to handle duplicate messages; and server hasto ensure that it handles duplicate messages in a predictable manner.

The hub data processor may use Remote Dictionary Server (i.e., Redis) tomanage duplicate messages and ensure that the same message is notprocessed by multiple processes. Redis is an in-memory data structurestore, used as a distributed, in-memory key-value database, cache andmessage broker, with optional durability. Redis supports different kindsof abstract data structures, such as strings, lists, maps, sets, sortedsets, HyperLogLogs, bitmaps, streams, and spatial indexes. SSL may beused to ensure communication between the hub and server is secure.

All Personally, Identifiable Information (PII) data, e.g., names,addresses, emails etc. will be encrypted and stored in a database of amanagement system. This approach of encryption of data at rest ensuresthat meaningful data is shown only to an authorized user. An OracleDBMS_CRYPTO package may be used. The Encryption Algorithm may be, forexample, AES256. The Chaining Mode used may be CBC. The Padding Modeused may be PKCS5.

FIG. 20 shows an exemplary management system 2001 following a MessageQueuing Telemetry Transport architecture. A hub data processor of a hub2003 of the management system 2001 may use a Remote Dictionary Server.Communications between a server 2005 and the hub 2003 is preferably twoway, such that each of the server 2005 or hub 2003 is configured toinitiate or receive a communication from the other.

Authentication and identification are preferably handled by both the hub2003 and the server 2005. Preferably, no two hubs 2003 will communicatewith each other directly. In most instances, symmetric keyauthentication will be used to authenticate the hub 2003 and the samekey will be used to authenticate messages received from the server 2005.

FIG. 21 shows a block diagram illustrating authentication. Inparticular, the figure illustrates an HMAC (sometimes expanded as eitherkeyed-hash message authentication code or hash-based messageauthentication code) mutual authentication process for authenticatingdata exchanged over a network. The authentication process of amanagement system generally involves authenticating a request receivedfrom a device (e.g., a guest device or staff device) before processingthe request.

Preferably, the authentication comprises HMAC. HMAC is a type of messageauthentication code (MAC) involving a cryptographic hash function and asecret cryptographic key. The code may be used to simultaneously verifyboth data integrity and the authenticity of a message. In someinstances, HMAC can provide message authentication using a shared secretinstead of using digital signatures with asymmetric cryptography. Ittrades off the need for a complex public key infrastructure bydelegating the key exchange to the communicating parties, who areresponsible for establishing and using a trusted channel to agree on thekey prior to communication.

FIG. 22 identifies pathways for operating exemplary componentsassociated with a server. As illustrated, a user, e.g., a staff, guest,facility manager, etc., may communicate with a server (labeled here asan application server) of a management system to operate variouscomponents of the server. Communications may be carried out via aHypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) request. HTTP is an application layerprotocol for distributed, collaborative, hypermedia information systemsand is the foundation of data communication for the Internet. HTTPrequest may be made using a guest device or staff device. The device mayinclude an interface with hyperlinks to server components that the usercan easily access, for example by tapping the screen in a web browser orsoftware application. The components or modules, described in detailbelow, include report management, sensor data processor, schedulehandler, alarm manager, notification engine, device and facilitymanager, and cloud synchronizer.

The hub is operable to communicate with the application server via aMQTT device. The hub may initiate a communicate in response to aninstruction received by a guest device, a staff device, or a propertymanagement system.

FIG. 23 identifies exemplary server components of a management system.As a person of skill in the art will recognize, a server refers to apiece of computer hardware or software (computer program) that providesfunctionality for other programs or devices, referred to as clients.Servers of a management system provide any number of differentfunctionalities, often called services, such as sharing data orresources among multiple clients, or performing computation for aclient. A management system generally comprises a single server forserving multiple clients. Although, in some instances, it may bedesirable to include multiple servers. A client process may run on thesame device or may connect over a network to a server on a differentdevice. Typical servers are database servers, file servers, mailservers, print servers, web servers, game servers, and applicationservers.

Preferably, the server implemented as a request-response model: a clientsends a request to the server, which performs some action and sends aresponse back to the client, typically with a result or acknowledgment.The server may comprise a computer, designed as server-class hardware,which is specialized for running servers on it.

FIG. 24 illustrates connectivity among components of an exemplarymanagement system. More particularly, FIG. 24 illustrates connectivityamong various server components with devices and servers coordinated bythe management system.

FIG. 25 diagrams inter-system communications of a management system2501. The management system 2501 comprises a computer with memorycontaining instructions for communicating with a plurality of devicesover a network. The plurality of devices includes devices operated bystaff 2503 and guests 2505 of the facility as well as devices installedin the facility (e.g., in room devices, such as, door locks 2507 andsensors 2509). Preferably, the management system is operable tocommunicate with devices installed in the facility through one or morehubs 2511.

FIG. 26 shows a block diagram illustrating connections with a server2603 of a management system. The server 2603 provides functionality forother components or modules associated with the server. Some exemplarymodules are identified in the figure. The server 2603 is operable tocommunicate with a property management system (PMS) 2605bidirectionally. Preferably, the communications may comprise a HTTPSprotocol. The server may send communications to a cloud server accordingto that same protocol. In preferred embodiments, the server is operableto communicate bidirectionally with one or more hubs of a facility 2607.Each one of the one or more hubs may be associated with a particularroom of the facility. In some instances, one hub may be associated withmore than one room. The hub 2607 may communicate with a lock 2609 andone or more sensors 2611 of each room of the facility. In some aspects,the hub 2611 may function as an intermediary for communications betweena server and devices connected to the facility e.g., sensors 2611, andlocks 2609. The sever 2603 may provide information to a cloud server2613. Providing information to a cloud server 2613 can be useful forbacking up server data and sharing data from the server with otherdevices not connected directly with said server 2603.

FIG. 27 shows a block diagram of a device manager. The device manager isa component, also referred herein as a module, of a server operable tocommunicate data relating to various devices of a facility (e.g., alock, a hub, or a sensor). The device manager may be operable to collectand relay data from devices connected to a facility, e.g., one or moresensors, a light, a lock, etc., and provide said data to a database, afacility manager, a notification engine, or a device communicator. Thedata may be transmitted to the server via a data hub.

The device manager may communicate with devices connected to a facilityvia a device communicator. A device communicator refers to a servermodule operable to send keys, commands, instructions, to devicesassociated with the management system (e.g., a door lock).

FIG. 28 is a block diagram of a facility manager component. The facilitymanager component or module is a discrete application of a server thatis operable to handle tasks related to rooms, bookings, keys, useractivities, food ordering, feedback, maintenance requests, servicerequests, devices and job orders, offers, events and holidays, andfirmware reports. Often, these tasks are addressed by communicating withdifferent components of the same server.

In some instances, the facility manager component is configured toreceive communications from a staff application, a guest application, ora maintenance application. In response a communication, the facilitymanager may send one or more communications (bidirectional) to differentserver components or modules, such as, a device manager, a reporterhander, a schedule handler, a notification engine, or an alert manager.The facility manger component may also send a communication to adatabase, for example, to update authentication information.

FIG. 29 is a block diagram of an alarm manager. The alarm manager is aserver component operable to raise alarms, issue notifications, andmonitor devices. The alarm manager is operable to issue notificationsvia a notification engine.

For example, in some instances the alarm manger may issue an alarm basedon data received by one or more sensors. The one or more sensors may be,for example, an air quality sensor. If poor or dangerous air quality issensed, the sensor may, by relaying data through a data hub, to a devicemanager module of the server, and to the alarm manager, trigger an alarmthat is directed to one or more devices in association with themanagement system, such as, staff or guest devices. The alarm may bedirected to the various devices via a notification engine module of theserver.

FIG. 30 is a block diagram of a notification engine. The notificationengine is a component or module of a server operable to sendnotifications via a short message service (SMS) or push technology. SMSuses standardized communication protocols that let devices exchangeshort text messages. The notifications may be handled by a bulk SMSservice, such as, the bulk SMS service provided under the trade nameKAPSYSTEM by KAP Computer Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Push technology, or server push, is a style of communication where therequest for a given transaction is initiated by the publisher orcentral. Push technology may be contrasted with get, where the requestfor the transmission of information is initiated by the receiver. Pushservices are often based on information preferences expressed inadvance. This is called a publish model. A client “subscribes” tovarious information “channels” provided by a server; whenever newcontent is available on one of those channels, the server pushes thatinformation out to the client. The push notifications may be use aFirebase Cloud Messaging service.

In some embodiments, the notification engine is operable to sendnotifications in response to communications received by a schedulemanager.

FIG. 31 shows a block diagram of a schedule manager. The schedulemanager is a module of a server operable to handle tasks relating to,among other things, scheduling cleaning services and or maintenancerequests. The scheduling manager may schedule such services in responseto input from a guest device, a staff device, or a facility manager. Forexample, a guest may, via input into a guest application interface,request room service, such as, a room cleaning. In response, theschedule manager may schedule a cleaning and report said schedule viathe notification engine or a staff device. The scheduling manager mayalso schedule services or maintenance requests automatically upon questcheck out, or, periodically, for example, daily or weekly.

FIG. 32 is a sequence diagram for an installation and commissioning ofsensors and a hub with configuration data. A technician may work with afloor manager to install and configure the hub and sensor of each roomwith configuration data. Confirmation data may include room number,Wi-Fi settings, password, handshake message, hotel AP SSID, AP password,AC controls, mood lighting settings, etc. After configuration,technician may check whether communication is happening with a computerof the management system to complete the configuration setup.

FIG. 33 shows a sequence diagram of a firmware upgrade process. Inparticular, FIG. 33 shows a sequence of steps for upgrading firmware ofsensors/locks with new image/data. The computer management system maydetect firmware changes to identify and store identifying data of allrooms that needs to be updated. A technician may go to a specific roomand check current firmware for any sensors/locks of the room andinitiate maintenance for the room by giving the details of file transferprotocol (FTP) and commands needed for upgrade. The hub fetches theimage from the FTP server and beings the upgrade for the specificsensor/lock. After upgrading, the sensor/lock registration with newfirmware parameters is updated to the management system and hub. If thesensor/lock fails to upgrade to new firmware image, then the sensor/lockreboots with previous image and the maintenance is identified ascomplete for the specific room.

FIG. 34 shows a sequence diagram for a hotel site setup. The diagram isa site and staff setup for a facility. To complete site setup, hoteldetails (e.g., hotel name, city, image, theme), room details (e.g.,floor number, room number, amities for each room), room services (e.g.,extra bedding, toiletries, towels) and food and beverage service details(e.g., prices, coupons, orders) are fetched from the hotel and saved ina corresponding database. To complete staff setup, staff details (e.g.,role, phone number, username/password) and their access rights arefetched from the hotel and saved in a staff database.

FIG. 35 shows a sequence diagram for maintenance. When the maintenanceis started, lock and sensors may be configured to send anacknowledgement to start the maintenance. The technician may requestcritical event logs for a hub, a lock and/or a sensor. When themaintenance is finished, the hub, lock, and/or sensor may send a secondacknowledgement to stop the maintenance.

FIG. 36 shows a sequence diagram for guest check in. A guest may arriveat a facility, e.g., a hotel, for check in and a front desk may validatecheck in request. For example, the guest may need to provide proof ofidentification. After validation, a room may be allocated to the guest.The guest may customize their room by providing a service request.Requests may include extra bedding, luggage details, toiletries, food orbeverages, etc. A staff member may check the service request andcustomize the room according to the guest request. The information maythen be updated into a database. Information provided to the databasemay include guest name, telephone number, requests, room allocations,etc.

FIG. 37 shows a sequence diagram for a guest check out. The guest mayrequest a check out using a guest application on the guest's device.Upon request, the management system may fetch guest details and initiatecheck out procedures. The front desk may process the check-outprocedures for the guest by validating the dues or expenses remaining tobe paid. If the guest does not have any outstanding dues, then check outis done successfully. If dues are present, then guest will get anotification to contact the front desk. After successful check out,details of the guest are removed from the hub of the room and thedatabase is updated with the details of guests and check out time.

FIG. 38 shows a sequence diagram for room server management. A staff maybe assigned to each room for a particular service request using thedatabase information of the staff. When a room service request/foodservice request is generated by a guest, the staff assigned to aparticular request for that room may receive a notification to processthe service request. The information is updated in the database afterthe service is complete.

FIG. 39 is a diagram of issues addressed by an exemplary managementsystem.

As used in any embodiment herein, the term “module” may refer tosoftware, firmware and/or circuitry configured to perform any of theaforementioned operations. Software may be embodied as a softwarepackage, code, instructions, instruction sets and/or data recorded onnon-transitory computer readable storage medium. Firmware may beembodied as code, instructions or instruction sets and/or data that arehard-coded (e.g., nonvolatile) in memory devices. Circuitry maycomprise, for example, singly or in any combination, hardwiredcircuitry, programmable circuitry such as computer processors comprisingone or more individual instruction processing cores, state machinecircuitry, and/or firmware that stores instructions executed byprogrammable circuitry. The modules may, collectively or individually,be embodied as circuitry that forms part of a larger system, forexample, an integrated circuit (IC), system on-chip (SoC), desktopcomputers, laptop computers, tablet computers, servers, smartphones,etc.

Any of the operations described herein may be implemented in a systemthat includes one or more storage mediums having stored thereon,individually or in combination, instructions that when executed by oneor more processors perform the methods. Here, the processor may include,for example, a server CPU, a mobile device CPU, and/or otherprogrammable circuitry.

Also, it is intended that operations described herein may be distributedacross a plurality of physical devices, such as processing structures atmore than one different physical location. The storage medium mayinclude any type of tangible medium, for example, any type of diskincluding hard disks, floppy disks, optical disks, compact diskread-only memories (CD-ROMs), compact disk rewritables (CD-RWs), andmagneto-optical disks, semiconductor devices such as read-only memories(ROMs), random access memories (RAMs) such as dynamic and static RAMs,erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROMs), electrically erasableprogrammable read-only memories (EEPROMs), flash memories, Solid StateDisks (SSDs), magnetic or optical cards, or any type of media suitablefor storing electronic instructions. Other embodiments may beimplemented as software modules executed by a programmable controldevice. The storage medium may be non-transitory.

As described herein, various embodiments may be implemented usinghardware elements, software elements, or any combination thereof.Examples of hardware elements may include processors, microprocessors,circuits, circuit elements (e.g., transistors, resistors, capacitors,inductors, and so forth), integrated circuits, application specificintegrated circuits (ASIC), programmable logic devices (PLD), digitalsignal processors (DSP), field programmable gate array (FPGA), logicgates, registers, semiconductor device, chips, microchips, chip sets,and so forth.

Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “anembodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in oneembodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout thisspecification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics maybe combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The term “non-transitory” is to be understood to remove only propagatingtransitory signals per se from the claim scope and does not relinquishrights to all standard computer-readable media that are not onlypropagating transitory signals per se. Stated another way, the meaningof the term “non-transitory computer-readable medium” and“non-transitory computer-readable storage medium” should be construed toexclude only those types of transitory computer-readable media whichwere found in In Re Nuijten to fall outside the scope of patentablesubject matter under 35 U.S.C. § 101.

The terms and expressions which have been employed herein are used asterms of description and not of limitation, and there is no intention,in the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding any equivalentsof the features shown and described (or portions thereof), and it isrecognized that various modifications are possible within the scope ofthe claims. Accordingly, the claims are intended to cover all suchequivalents.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

References and citations to other documents, such as patents, patentapplications, patent publications, journals, books, papers, webcontents, have been made throughout this disclosure. All such documentsare hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for allpurposes.

EQUIVALENTS

Various modifications of the invention and many further embodimentsthereof, in addition to those shown and described herein, will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the full contents of thisdocument, including references to the scientific and patent literaturecited herein. The subject matter herein contains important information,exemplification and guidance that can be adapted to the practice of thisinvention in its various embodiments and equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A management system for managing a hospitalityfacility, the management system operable to communicate and exchangedata over a network with a plurality of devices comprising at least aguest device, a staff device, and a device connected to the facility,the management system comprising a hardware processor coupled tonon-transitory, computer-readable memory containing instructionsexecutable by the processor to cause the management system to: receivedata from at least one of the plurality of devices, wherein at least aportion of the data comprises unique identification information; query adatabase that comprises authentication information; generate an outputbased, at least in part, on data received from the at least one of theplurality of devices and results of the query; and provide the output toat least one of the plurality of devices and a property managementsystem.
 2. The management system of claim 1, wherein the deviceconnected to the facility comprises at least one of one of a lockingdevice, a sensor, an air conditioner, an entertainment device, or anillumination device.
 3. The management system of claim 1, wherein theguest device comprises a smartphone running an application configured tocommunicate and exchange data with the management system.
 4. Themanagement system of claim 3, wherein the application comprises aninterface configured to receive input from a guest associated with thedevice.
 5. The management system of claim 4, wherein the interface isconfigured to receive input in connection with at least one of accessinga room of the facility, adjusting room temperature, adjusting anentertainment device, changing room ambiance, and making a room servicerequest.
 6. The management system of claim 1, wherein the authenticationinformation of the database comprises unique identification dataassociating a guest and a registered room of the facility.
 7. Themanagement system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured toauthenticate data received from the plurality of devices by correlatingunique identification information of one of the plurality of devices andauthentication information from the database.
 8. The management systemof claim 1, wherein the output comprises computer-readable instructionsfor adjusting operation of the device connected to the facility.
 9. Themanagement system of claim 8, wherein the computer-readable instructionsare processed by the device connected to the facility to thereby resultin at least one of a change to a lock status, an adjustment in airtemperature, an adjustment in room lighting, or an adjustment to anentertainment device.
 10. The management system of claim 1, wherein theoutput comprises data that relates to a custodial or maintenance taskand is viewable on an interface of the staff device.
 11. The managementsystem of claim 10, wherein the interface is configured to receive inputfrom a staff member associated with the staff device in connection withthe custodial or maintenance task.
 12. The management system of claim 1,wherein the management system is configured to update information storedin the database based on authenticated data received from one of theplurality of devices or the property management system.
 13. Themanagement system of claim 12, wherein the update is in connection withinformation that associates a room of the facility with a guest andresults in a change to authentication information.
 14. The managementsystem of claim 12, wherein the update is in connection with a roomservice request.
 15. The management system of claim 12, wherein theupdate is in connection with a custodial or maintenance task.
 16. Themanagement system of claim 12, wherein the update is in connection withan operational status of the device connected to the facility.
 17. Themanagement system of claim 1, wherein the property management systemcomprises an interface that is configured to receive input from aproperty manager.
 18. The management system of claim 17, wherein theinterface allows the property manager to control one or more parametersof the system.
 19. The management system of claim 18, wherein the one ormore parameters comprise operational parameters of the device connectedto the facility.
 20. The management system of claim 17, wherein inputfrom the property manager is used to change information stored in thedatabase.
 21. The management system of claim 20, wherein the informationincludes guest room assignments.
 22. The management system of claim 1,where the network is a cloud-based network.
 23. The management system ofclaim 1, wherein the data received from the at least one device isencrypted.
 24. The management system of claim 23, wherein the encrypteddata comprises hash-based message authentication code.
 25. Themanagement system of claim 2, wherein the sensor provides data relatingto at least one of air quality, occupancy, energy consumption or waterconsumption.
 26. The management system of claim 25, wherein themanagement system further comprises an analytical software system foranalyzing data provided by the sensor.